Elven Chronicles Book 4: The Final Stand

I looked out the window to see the guards bringing an enemy into the grounds.

"Isabel, go and tell them to hold it there. We will be down in a moment," I said, and she left the room immediately.

I addressed the others. "I will be getting the information from it however way I can. You all may be down there. Does anyone have a problem with this?" I usually did not give commands like this, so I expected them all to listen to me carefully. They all just nodded, and we walked downstairs and out into the yard. The guards had the thing's hands tied behind it's back and surrounded it in a circle.

"You may step away from it," I told them. They bowed and took a few steps away, while the thing looked up.

"High Queen Kida, what an honor it is to see you again. I am afraid I have missed these last few birthdays though," he said.

That shot right through me like ice, and I recognized him immediately. "You were among those who kidnapped me," I said. I heard Alia and Aaron take a quick intake of breath behind me. I put my hand up to keep them calm.

"Yes, High Queen, but I was not amoung those who tormented you. I was a guard. Now, why do I get such special attention from you today?"

"Because we found this," I replied and showed him the map. "Tell me what this is for."

"I will because I have not been given my fair share after capturing you. There will be an attack on the elves in two months. The Old Ones are very angry with you High Queen, and they want, and I quote, 'your head handing on their wall and your hair decorating the palace.'"

"Well, I guess it is a good thing my hair is even longer than it was before you all chopped it off. How many are coming and where from?" I asked.

"Now, now, I cannot-" I cut him off by leaping and holding my dagger to his throat. It cut him a little and a line of his black blood ran down my hand.

"You will tell me," I whispered, "or I promise you will be tortured like I was."

He swallowed and started to talk. "Thousands of them High Queen, and they plan on taking the mountains and moving into the forest from there. They will burn and destroy everything unitl you are dead, and then they want to enslave the elves."

I stepped back from him and looked back at the other elves. Their faces were white with shock, and Aaron was still shaking in anger on how the Old Ones plan on using me for decoration. I kept calm and passive.

"Well, I'll let you live so you can deliver a message for me. Tell your Old Ones to prepare their armies, and in two months the elves will be ready and I will be waiting for them. You make sure to tell them that I am waiting anxiously for their arrival so I can destroy them like Uthgar."

"Thank you High Queen, I will deliver the message with care."

"Good, but you don't need all your body parts intact." He looked up at me in fear, and I broke his shoulder, ribs, and leg. I heard some of the gasps of surprise behind me, and luckly for them no one said anything in protest. "That is to represent what you all did to me," I whispered. "Now leave." He disappeared without another word.

"Well, it looks like we have a new topic to discuss," I turned and went back into Isabel's castle with the others trailing behind me. I walked into the Great room and waited for them. They joined me after a couple of minutes.

"Aaron, it looks like our wedding won't be for a while," I tried to lighten the mood. He exploded.

"THEY PLAN ON USING YOU FOR DECORATION, AND YOU JUST SAY THAT OUR WEDDING IS DELAYED! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" He shouted this and it sounded like he was going to wake up the whole castle. I smiled thinly in response.

"Calm down please, the little Prince Fenel is going to sleep, and he does not need you to interrupt. They will not win, and tomorrow morning, after we all try to sleep, we will discuss the plans for the next two months."

"Kida, how can you ask us to be calm in such a situation?" Elwen asked me.

"Because if we all panic, there will be chaos everywhere," Alia answered for me. "You told her that when we taught her."

I noticed then that Alia looked very pale and feint. "Alia, do you feel alright?" I asked her. Elendil turned and noticed that she did not look well at all. His face turned into one of concern.

"I'm fine, just tired that's all. We should all just sleep and relax like Kida said," she tried to fend us off.

"I'll have the maids show you to your rooms," Isabel said and that ended the conversation for the night. We all went our separate ways, and I knew, like me, none of them got his/her proper sleep for the night.